My computer broke down a week ago, which has rendered the greater blogging format somewhat impossible. This will likely continue for another week (or longer depending on whether or not my friend Scott can resuscitate it).
In the meantime, you'll be happy to know that, with the right side of my jaw suddenly popping at an alarming rate, my dentist has recommended chewing a piece of gum on each side. This is actually far more difficult than it sounds; after 31 years of instinctively alternating sides it's difficult to create a Berlin Wall of the mouth. Try it sometime. I dare ya.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Stunning realization of the day
It's quite possible that my entire dancing career has been leading to the 41 second stretch from the 3:11 mark to 3:52 in the MGMT song "Kids."
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy wedding day Bruce Wexler
My man Bruce is getting married tonight to a wonderful girl named Corey. About this I could not be more pleased. Alas, the logistics of traveling across the country when money isn't plentiful and all vacation days have been allocated are...well, let's just say it became very difficult for me to justify. Such is life, I suppose.
On pretty much every wedding day I grow nostalgic. I think of my first memories with the person, what they meant to me, deeper conversations, that sort of thing. Bruce has a special place in my heart because of the depth to which we once knew each other. There's just something special about sharing the teenage years, when you're scared of life and think no one else feels that way.
Whatever photos I have with him are someone in my parents' house, 3000+ miles away*. I my head I've got a whole montage building though -- the days where I tormented him and his curly hair by yelling "peeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrmmmm" down the Enfield Middle School hallway; the high school years when we became friends and spent hours memorizing people's senior quotes (newsflash: I've never been cool); time spent watching Eagles games and Rocky movies and making amateur clown films (again, never been cool); times where I got to non-challantly brag that "oh yeah, my friend Bruce is in a Miller Lite commercial."
That kid is getting married today. Congrats my man. Here's hoping we can catch up down the road.
*Google maps tells me it's actually 2862 miles away if you take I-80, 2894 if you take I-94. I think I'd opt for the latter. Because what's the rush?
On pretty much every wedding day I grow nostalgic. I think of my first memories with the person, what they meant to me, deeper conversations, that sort of thing. Bruce has a special place in my heart because of the depth to which we once knew each other. There's just something special about sharing the teenage years, when you're scared of life and think no one else feels that way.
Whatever photos I have with him are someone in my parents' house, 3000+ miles away*. I my head I've got a whole montage building though -- the days where I tormented him and his curly hair by yelling "peeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrmmmm" down the Enfield Middle School hallway; the high school years when we became friends and spent hours memorizing people's senior quotes (newsflash: I've never been cool); time spent watching Eagles games and Rocky movies and making amateur clown films (again, never been cool); times where I got to non-challantly brag that "oh yeah, my friend Bruce is in a Miller Lite commercial."
That kid is getting married today. Congrats my man. Here's hoping we can catch up down the road.
*Google maps tells me it's actually 2862 miles away if you take I-80, 2894 if you take I-94. I think I'd opt for the latter. Because what's the rush?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The truth about sports
Five years ago today -- Kalemba and Fifer take note of the date (10/27) -- the Red Sox won the World Series. While I was living in Boston. With season tickets. I'm not afraid to say that this was one of the best days of my life (though not nearly as wonderful as beating the Yankees. Short of having a family member make the big leagues, I don't think that will ever be topped). I remember walking out of work with this kid Jeff Mitchell and saying "next time I see you, we'll be World Champions" as we parted ways.
(Note: of all the funny things people do in associating with sports teams, my favorite one has to be referring to yourselves as champions along with the team. Yet it also makes sense. Any sports fan knows that)
It was awesome. It was the best thing ever. I still describe the victory parade as the closest I will come to heaven on earth. And it changed my opinion on the importance of being a champion.
A funny thing happens when a team you love wins the World Series (or Super Bowl, or whatever): you realize winning isn't nearly as important as you thought. I mean, that's still the goal and it's really freaking awesome when it happens. Still...
I guess my theory goes like this:
You come to a point in the season where you legitimately love your team. I don't mean "love" in the sense of loving ice cream; I mean "love" as in viewing players as family members. You call them by their first names. You know their habits. You can turn on the TV for a half second and ID players just by the way they swing the bat.
Somewhere along the way I think you stop rooting so much to benefit yourself and start rooting for the benefit of others. You root for slumping players to break out of it not just because it helps your team, but because you legitimately care for them.
Then, just like that, it's over. Win or lose the series, it just ends. As a fan you're left with this strange feeling of "now what?" I just spent six months with this family. Now they're...gone? That's why it's so important to enjoy the ride -- enjoy your family members' ride -- along the way. Winning a championship is fleeting. Sure, you can enjoy it for a couple weeks and it makes for great nostalgia. In the end, though, it's more about the time you spent watching, the time you spent building a friendship with people who don't even know your name.
Of course, there's a catch: you don't realize this until the season is over. All you can think to do is root for them to win because...I mean, what else would you do as a sports fan? On some level I think when you're doing this, you're rooting for them not so much for the feeling it gives you, but the feeling it gives them. They are like family, after all.
(Note: of all the funny things people do in associating with sports teams, my favorite one has to be referring to yourselves as champions along with the team. Yet it also makes sense. Any sports fan knows that)
It was awesome. It was the best thing ever. I still describe the victory parade as the closest I will come to heaven on earth. And it changed my opinion on the importance of being a champion.
A funny thing happens when a team you love wins the World Series (or Super Bowl, or whatever): you realize winning isn't nearly as important as you thought. I mean, that's still the goal and it's really freaking awesome when it happens. Still...
I guess my theory goes like this:
You come to a point in the season where you legitimately love your team. I don't mean "love" in the sense of loving ice cream; I mean "love" as in viewing players as family members. You call them by their first names. You know their habits. You can turn on the TV for a half second and ID players just by the way they swing the bat.
Somewhere along the way I think you stop rooting so much to benefit yourself and start rooting for the benefit of others. You root for slumping players to break out of it not just because it helps your team, but because you legitimately care for them.
Then, just like that, it's over. Win or lose the series, it just ends. As a fan you're left with this strange feeling of "now what?" I just spent six months with this family. Now they're...gone? That's why it's so important to enjoy the ride -- enjoy your family members' ride -- along the way. Winning a championship is fleeting. Sure, you can enjoy it for a couple weeks and it makes for great nostalgia. In the end, though, it's more about the time you spent watching, the time you spent building a friendship with people who don't even know your name.
Of course, there's a catch: you don't realize this until the season is over. All you can think to do is root for them to win because...I mean, what else would you do as a sports fan? On some level I think when you're doing this, you're rooting for them not so much for the feeling it gives you, but the feeling it gives them. They are like family, after all.
Songs about whose impetus I'd like to know
Van Halen "Why Can't This Be Love"
It's got what it takes
So tell me why can't this be love
To me this song sounds like it's about computer dating. I picture Eddy VH sitting there saying "well, you two match up in categories X, Y and Z...yeah, I'd say it's got what it takes," before the gal politely corrects him. But since this song took place prior to the computer dating era, I doubt if that's what they were talking about.
Is it meant to be a persuasive argument? Is the singer trying to prove the point -- that they are in love -- to a far more skeptical female companion. I wish there was some way to know.
It's got what it takes
So tell me why can't this be love
To me this song sounds like it's about computer dating. I picture Eddy VH sitting there saying "well, you two match up in categories X, Y and Z...yeah, I'd say it's got what it takes," before the gal politely corrects him. But since this song took place prior to the computer dating era, I doubt if that's what they were talking about.
Is it meant to be a persuasive argument? Is the singer trying to prove the point -- that they are in love -- to a far more skeptical female companion. I wish there was some way to know.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Best text of the week winner
This award goes to my friend Hood, who responded to my "if you don't think I assigned a reading on the Dixie Chicks to my class tonight you don't know me very well" text with this gem:
Is it possible for someone to be predictably unpredictable? Because if so, you are
Thank you my friend exclamation point. I take that as a compliment
Is it possible for someone to be predictably unpredictable? Because if so, you are
Thank you my friend exclamation point. I take that as a compliment
Just asking
So if someone throws an exclamation point at the end of "lol"...does that mean a heartier laugh? When you're just at "lol" with a period...does that mean your heart really isn't in it? Like it's an obligatory laugh?
...and honestly, how is "lol!" different than lmao? Can you casually lmao?
Yup, we ask the hard hitting questions at sevenminusfour
...and honestly, how is "lol!" different than lmao? Can you casually lmao?
Yup, we ask the hard hitting questions at sevenminusfour
Sunday, October 25, 2009
On BCCing
I wonder how BCCing came about. Was this invented by a wily and devious person? Is the point of this to let someone in on inside jokes? Or to do what we humans always wanted to do -- observe conversations without actually being in the room?
Personally, I wish we could BCC in real life. Things would be much easier if I could just plead "BCC" in uncomfortable moments -- like if I could be "BCC'd" on one of my friends telling someone off, or BCC'd on a fight between couples?
Is this where the idea for Harry Potter's invisibility cloak came from?
Yup, this is what I've been thinking about.
Personally, I wish we could BCC in real life. Things would be much easier if I could just plead "BCC" in uncomfortable moments -- like if I could be "BCC'd" on one of my friends telling someone off, or BCC'd on a fight between couples?
Is this where the idea for Harry Potter's invisibility cloak came from?
Yup, this is what I've been thinking about.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Pearl Jam
Right after I graduated college I made a list of "things I have to do before my life is over." Apparently this is now called a Bucket List but I didn't know that at the time. Anyway, my list was rather ridiculous -- I remember one item being "hop into a cab and yell 'follow that car!' " -- and most of it is lost somewhere deep in my memory.
One bit always stood out, though: see Pearl Jam live in concert. For a while this seemed impossible; they used to sell out in like 9 seconds and charge $80 for it. Things have changed over the years and finally tonight I was able to see them.
And...it was awesome. So awesome. I'm too tired and cold to go into much detail (Clark County Amphitheater is what I'd affectionately call "sneaky freezing") but I'll just try to give you this image: lawn seats, a crisp clear sky overhead, stars out, the moon shining brightly as the first few notes of "Black" (one of my all-time favorite songs) are strummed. And Eddie's singing out about all five horizons revolving around the sun, and in that crisp clear sky I see a shooting star. No joke. It was that kind of night. Awesome, awesome show. Only way it could have been better would have been if I had worn a warm pair of socks.
One bit always stood out, though: see Pearl Jam live in concert. For a while this seemed impossible; they used to sell out in like 9 seconds and charge $80 for it. Things have changed over the years and finally tonight I was able to see them.
And...it was awesome. So awesome. I'm too tired and cold to go into much detail (Clark County Amphitheater is what I'd affectionately call "sneaky freezing") but I'll just try to give you this image: lawn seats, a crisp clear sky overhead, stars out, the moon shining brightly as the first few notes of "Black" (one of my all-time favorite songs) are strummed. And Eddie's singing out about all five horizons revolving around the sun, and in that crisp clear sky I see a shooting star. No joke. It was that kind of night. Awesome, awesome show. Only way it could have been better would have been if I had worn a warm pair of socks.
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